Flying Lotus took a sold out Brixton Academy on an intergalactic journey through his trippy mind with the aid of a laser-light show and selected tracks from his back catalogue on Friday 1st May.
The crowd was already charged from a performance by Jay Electronica, who replaced MF DOOM last minute. More than 30 fans graced the stage at the request of the ‘Exhibit A’ rapper before security stepped in to protect the expensive equipment that would become the centerpiece of the show. By the time the LA beatsmith took to the stage – or rather the cube which laser lights were emitted from – the roar of the fans was in direct competition with the soul-shattering bass that did his tracks more justice than any Bose or Beats by Dre speakers ever could.
FlyLo schooled those in attendance as to why his hybrid of electronic jazz and hip hop has seen him collaborate with the likes of Erykah Badu, Thom Yorke, Kendrick Lamar and more. Hunched over his laptop and punctuated by the stunning light effects, clearly enjoying the energy created from his biggest show in the capital to date; the Brainfeeder founder played tracks including ‘Sultan’s request’, ‘Pretty Boy Strut’ and ‘Melt’ before bringing it right up to date with ‘Dead man’s Tetris’ and ‘Coronus, The Terminator’ from latest album You’re Dead.
The crowd went into meltdown when Thundercat appeared on stage donning his trademark headdress to perform ‘Complexion (A Zulu Love)’ – one of three tracks from Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly for which he is credited for producing. The arrival of Captain Murphy – FlyLo’s rapping alter ego – practically saw the south London venue explode. Performing ‘The Killing Joke’, ‘Between Friends’ and ‘Shake Weight’, he proved that he has managed to master his craft on either side of the recording booth.
Closing his set with ‘Never Catch Me’, the venue was raised to the ground with a mixture of bass, screams, foot stamping and genuine admiration for the producer who will be playing a range of festivals in the UK this year.
